*To make your own vanilla sugar: Place 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar in pint jar. Put a clean vanilla bean in the jar, cover and shake well. Let stand for a few days, shaking the jar occasionally, before using the sugar. As you use the sugar, replace with fresh sugar.
Sieve the flour into a heap on a pastry board or into a large bowl.
Cut the cold butter into small pieces and mix with the flour.
Add powdered sugar, ground almonds or hazelnuts and the egg.
Rinse hands with cold water and quickly knead mixture into a crisp dough.
Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Form thumb-thick size rolls from the dough.
Cut roll into 1 cm wide pieces, roll and form crescents.
Bake crescents at 350° Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until very light-gold in color.
Roll the crescents in a mixture of powdered sugar and vanilla sugar while still hot.
